Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

This week officially begins a new chapter for me.

Just a little over two years ago, I sat down to write a novel, something I’d been wanting to do for a long while. It got off to a rocky start; I ended up with three distinct beginnings to three very different stories, and there I sat: stuck. So I signed up to work with an accomplished writer and editor for eight weeks and received the kind of guidance and feedback that helped me push through. I found my story. I figured out who my main character really is, what she wants, and what she doesn’t even know she wants. I was on my way. What a relief!

However, right around that same time, just when I was starting to fire on all cylinders author-wise, I had to address a temporary challenge that resulted in putting my manuscript away for six months. Fast forward through all that. I joined a local writers group that got me back on track – woo-hoo! And then…a distraction disguised as an opportunity got caught in my antennae. I say “distraction” not because it was a bad thing per se, but because I allowed it to lure me away from my dream of becoming a best-selling author.

Seven months later, around the December holidays (which also coincide with my birthday, another “stock-taking” time of year), I realized I was going to have to make some serious life changes if the dream of finishing this book meant anything at all to me.

I knew I needed to regroup, decide how I should move forward. Once I made the decision, the Universe, as it always does, began conspiring on my behalf, bringing two former clients and one new one into my life. This is precisely the kind of serendipitous event the Universe specializes in, at least in my experience. 😉 It freed me to exit a position that, while fun and interesting and fulfilling, was nonetheless more time-intensive than I could reasonably give at this point in my life.

So now I’m happily back in my home office, re-energized by the work I’m doing for my (few, select) clients and dedicating myself to my writing on a daily basis.

Intention for 2015 and beyond: I will not lose sight of my dreams. I will pursue them like I have no Plan B. Because I don’t.